Pool drains, or sumps, as currently known in the art comprise a plastic or fiberglass body, including a chamber into which water flows from the pool as it gets recycled through the pool's pump and filter. The chamber includes an opening, or sump port, that connects to a pipe in communication with the pool pump and filter apparatus. Pipes are typically installed in gunite or shotcrete material forming the supporting walls of the pool. The terminal end of a pipe is then encased in plaster along with the drain to which it is connected. The plaster covers the gunite or shotcrete and serves as a barrier between water in the pool and the gunite or shotcrete.
Elongated channel sumps are popular in view of their compliance with the Virginia Graham Baker Pool & Spa Safety Act (“VGB Act”), requiring swimming pool and spa sumps to prevent a person's body from covering the entire sump intake and becoming entrapped. Anti-entrapment channel sumps generally comply with the VGB Act by providing multiple intake ports or being of a sufficient length that they cannot be simultaneously blocked, i.e., if one sump port or a portion is blocked, the other sump ports or other portions allow water to continue to flow into the pump and filter intake.
U.S. Pat. No. 4,815,888 to Stegmeier teaches a swimming pool drain for decking areas of a swimming pool. The drain is an elongated trough and is formed of parallel spaced-apart side walls. A grating with apertures allows water to travel into the trough for draining. Due to the elongated shape of the drain, occlusion of apertures in one area still allows water to drain through adjacent open apertures, preventing the drain from easy obstruction.
U.S. Pat. No. 6,170,095 to Zars discloses an elongated drain to distribute the suction flow of water over a large surface area and utilizes a bendable or deformable upwardly releasable grate with slots. In this manner, when some slots are obstructed, other slots allow water to pass through. Additionally, the bowing effect of the grate allows it to be easily removed for cleaning.
U.S. App. No. 2007/0266489 to Martin discloses a trough with an elongated drain inlet. The trough has a non-snaring surface and the elongated inlet allows one portion of the inlet to be obscured, while allowing water to travel through an open portion. All of these references teach an elongated entrance to a drain, but only have a single outlet, which, if blocked, renders the drain inoperable.
A problem with the new VGB Act compliant swimming pool drains disclosed in the art, particularly those with larger, elongated channel sumps, is that cracks are more likely to form in the plaster which they are embedded in, in particular where the pool sump and plaster meet. This is due to the enlarged circumference and longer interface between the plaster surface of the pool and the edge of these types of drains. Consequently water may seep into the surrounding plaster and then down into the supporting walls of the pool, causing damage. It would therefore be desirable to provide such a pool sump that prevents water from migrating down cracks as they form in the plaster surrounding it.